Lyrica, generic drug name pregabalin, significantly improves pain in fibromyalgia patients, according to study results presented at the 59th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology and which appeared in Doctor's Guide. Based on a study of 745 fibromyalgia patients who were treated with pregabalin for 14 weeks, researchers concluded the results were promising. Study participants were treated with daily doses of 300, 450, or 600 mg. of pregabalin twice daily or placebo.
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Overall, patients treated with pregabalin showed significant improvement in pain compared to the placebo group. Thirty percent of patients receiving 600 mg. pregabalin, 27 percent of patients receiving the 450 mg. dose, and 24 percent of patients on the 300 mg. dose reported at least 50 percent reduction in pain. Only 15 percent of the placebo group reported that much decrease in their level of pain. Patients on the 450 mg. and 600 mg. doses also achieved significant improvement in function. Currently, there is no medication approved specifically to treat fibromyalgia. Pregabalin is approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with diabetes, post-herpetic neuralgia, and to treat certain types of seizures in patients with epilepsy.
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I heard about Lyrica but was told my disability drug plan wouldn’t cover it. Then I was talking to someone at therapy and they said they were on it for a few months and it helped, then it stopped helping. The main problem was terrible weight gain. When you read the possible side effects it is very worrisome. The test that they did was only for 14 weeks, that surely isn’t long enough.
I started taking Lyrica 24/11/08. In 4 days it has made a vast improvement in the extreme discomfort I have suffered for 8 years with partial neuropathy which steadily got worse year by year. It is early days of course but I haven’t suffered any ill effects so far. The trouble for me is that this medication is not on the free list in Australia and I have had to pay $105.00 for 56 tablets from my chemist. Is there anywhere a chemist who sells this product any cheaper than I am paying presently ? Does anybody know ? I would appreciate some advice because I just cannot afford to keep buyingLyrica.
Nigel; Have you tried the Canadian prescription mail order houses. They usually have the lowest prices, but I don’t know their prices on Lyrica.